Beringer Private Reserve

Illustrious reds for 26 years

by Tom Hyland, tnapa@aol.com

	Ed Sbragia

2002 marks the 126th anniversary of the founding of Beringer Vineyards. While that makes this estate one of the two oldest in Napa Valley today (the other being Charles Krug), it is clear that much of the attention paid to the winery in recent times has been for the remarkable string of releases over the past twenty-six years.

Not by coincidence, winemaker Ed Sbragia has been making wine at Beringer for the past 26 years. Sbragia, a man as big and full-bodied as his wines, told me at the end of an event late last year to celebrate Beringer's 125th anniversary, that the most satisfying aspect of his job is that, "I've been able to make the wines I really like. What surprises me is that there are a whole lot of people who like them too. That's really gratifying" Given the amount of money invested by his corporate masters in prime Napa vineyard over his tenure, one imagines that such success may not have been a complete surprise!

Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Sbragia says he has a simple philosophy when creating the blend for each year's Private Reserve. "Bob Steinhauer (Vineyard Manager) delivers me diamonds and I try to polish them."

Indeed, it is vineyards, after all, that really make a wine and Beringer Blass, Beringer's owner, has been generous in its acquisitions of some world's priciest vineyards. One of the strengths of Beringer's Private Reserve is that it is made from a pallet of exceptional proprietary and long-term contract vineyards from which Sbragia can make blending decisions each vintage. For a more detailed account of the four major sources of Private Reserve, click here

Tasting through these wines, it was fascinating to see the subtle changes from year to year as new vineyard sources came on line. The 1977 and 1978 were entirely from Chabot, while the St. Helena Home Vineyard was first used in the cuvée in 1982. Bancroft was first used in the late 1980s and Tre Colline came on board in 1993.

Over the years the wines have become a bit more muscular and tannic thanks to the addition of fruit from the Howell Mountain sites (the 1996 was 52% from Tre Colline). Sbragia has never tried to make the "showiest" of the glamour Cabernets from Napa.

Sbragia selects as his favorite Private Reserves the 1987, 1991 and 1997, although he did single out the 1991 as his top choice. I too picked out 1991 as my favorite. This cool vintage that was slow to ripen shows that when it comes to ripening Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley, the cooler years, not the hotter, are the best for producing long-lived wines.

Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1997-1997

1977 LEMMON-CHABOT (now known as the Chabot Vineyard)
Pale ruby red with a slight brown edge. Earthy, mature fruit and leathery aromas. Medium-full palate with dried cherry and herbal notes. Elegant finish. Nearing peak- perhaps another 2 years. (86)

1978 PRIVATE RESERVE
Ruby red with a slight brown edge. Earthy, herbal, cedar aromas. Medium-full palate with mature fruit that is just starting to dry out. Nice concentration. At peak. (84)

1980 STATE LANE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Ruby red with a slight brown edge. Earthy, herbal aromas. Medium-full palate with impressive concentration. Still displaying some sweet, ripe fruit. Lovely balance. Drinking well now- could hold for another 3-5 years. (88)

1980 CHABOT CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Ruby red with mature, dried black fruit aroma – very nice. Medium-full palate with impressive concentration. Nicely balanced. Drink now or over the next 2 years. (87)

1981 PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Ruby red, earthy, cherry aroma with subtle, nicely integrated oak. Medium-full palate with supple mouthfeel. Long, elegant finish with beautifully integrated tannins. Should drink well for another 3-5 years. (90)

1982 PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Pretty ruby red, blackcurrant, herbal, subtle oak aromas. Medium-full palate with impressive concentration. High acid finish where the fruit is starting to fade. (85)

1983 PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Pretty ruby red- earthy, cedar aromas. Medium-full palate with good concentration. The finish is a bit short- at peak. (85)

1984 PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Pretty ruby red, blackcurrant, cherry, subtle oak aromas – lovely. Medium-full palate with supple mouthfeel. Moderate tannins and a n elegant finish. Drink now or over the next 2-3 years. (88)

1985 PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Ruby red- musty, cedar aromas. Medium-full with tired fruit that is drying out. Tannins outweigh the meager fruit. Drink up. (83)

1986 PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Ruby red with a slight orange edge. Currants and a slight mustiness in the aroma. Medium-full palate with good concentration. Nearing peak. Drink up. (84)

1987 PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Pretty ruby red- lovely aroma of blackcurrant, mint, slight cedar. Medium-full palate with good concentration and supple mouthfeel. Well-balanced finish with fine acidity and bright fruit. Drink now or in 5-7 years. (90)

1988 PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Light ruby red –earthy, herbal aroma. Medium-full palate with good concentration and an elegant mouthfeel. A lighter style of Private Reserve- restrained and well-balanced. Drink now or in 2-3 years. (86)

1989 PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Pretty ruby red with an aroma of stewed prunes-almost port-like. Medium-full palate with nice concentration. Acidic finish with lean tannins. Drink up. (83)

1990 PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Pretty ruby red- aroma of blackcurrants, big oak and a slight herbaceousness. Full-bodied palate with very impressive concentration. Big tannins in the finish. Give this another 5-7 years to show its best. (88)

1991 PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Light purple- lovely aroma of ripe blackcurrant and black cherry with very subtle oak. Medium-full palate with excellent concentration. Perfectly balanced finish with persistent fruit and a slight touch of earthiness. Drinking well now, but will be at its best in another 7-10 years. (94)

1992 PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Pretty ruby red- herbal, minty aroma. Medium-full palate with good concentration. The finish is not as intense as the previous two vintages, but is pleasant with a slight earthiness. Drink now or the next 3-5 years. (85)

1993 PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Light purple hue. Very ripe aroma of blackcurrant, black licorice and toasty oak. Full-bodied palate with excellent concentration of still youthful fruit. The finish is a bit short but is quite concentrated and displays a great depth of fruit. Drink now or in 5-7 years. A pleasant surprise from this underrated vintage. (88)

1994 PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Light-medium purple hue. Ripe blackcurrant, subtle oak aromas. Medium-full palate with excellent concentration. The finish is still a bit tight. Give this 7-10 years. (90)

1995 PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Light purple hue. Blackcurrant and heavy oak aromas. Medium-full palate with very good concentration. Nicely balanced throughout with firm tannins. Best in 5-7 years. (87)

1996 PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Brilliant ruby red hue. Unusual aroma of cherry, citrus, lemon and young oak. Medium-full palate with good concentration. An unusual wine, not bad, but without the typical focus of other vintages. Drink in 5-7 years. (85)

1997 PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Brilliant ruby red-violet hue. Lovely aroma of blackcurrant and cherry with sweet oak. Full-bodied palate with excellent concentration. This has outstanding potential and should have a long life ahead of it- at least 10-15 years. (93)